Indore, June 25 (IANS) BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Wednesday ripped into the Congress party over its dark legacy of Emergency and accused it of ‘prolonging’ the same mindset rather than contributing to the building of a robust democracy.

Recalling June 25, 1975 – the day when Emergency was imposed, the RS MP said that it marked a black chapter in the history of Indian democracy as the voice of the Opposition was crushed, freedom of expression was censured and shackled while fundamental rights of citizens were withdrawn.

Dr Trivedi’s criticism of the Congress party came while addressing a Press conference at the Indore Metropolitan office, on the completion of 50 years of Emergency, a dark era of Indian democracy, where voices were crushed and civil liberties taken away by then Indira Gandhi dispensation.

The BJP MP raked up the Congress’ slogan of ‘India is Indira, and Indira is India’ and claimed that the same mindset of Emergency remains prevalent in the grand old party, even today.

“It wants to run the country, according to its convenience. If it wins elections, it doesn’t have any problem with the Constitution but after any setback in polls, it starts claiming that the Constitution is in danger,” he said, mocking Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi’s repeated waving of the red book at public meetings and rallies.

He also took strong exception to LoP Gandhi’s utterances on foreign soil, where the latter allegedly sought international support for upholding India’s democratic principles.

“Months ago, Rahul Gandhi went abroad and asked why the defenders of democracy – US and Europe were silent on India. Such utterances show the party’s Emergency mindset,” he said, asking why an individual’s political ambitions can outweigh the interests of a nation.

Trivedi also called upon the younger generation to take lessons from the dark phase of democracy and underscored the need for a vibrant democracy, where no entity could even think of such a system.

“Such a vibrant democracy is taking shape under the Modi government. After BJP assumed power in 2014, many Opposition leaders have been duly acknowledged and rewarded for their contributions, rising above political differences,” he pointed out.

“BJP represents a political culture which believes in ‘Bharat Mata’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ while they are the ones who want to pursue the mindset of ‘India is Indira, and Indira is India,’” he said, taking a sharp dig at the Congress party.

–IANS

mr/rad